Form or stretcher for boots and shoes.



M. B. REACH. FORM 0B. STRETGHEB. FOB. BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLIUATION FILED MAB. a, 190s. BBNBWBD MAY ze, 1909.

,980,676 y Patented'Jan 3, 1911.

UNITED STATES' iintriiisifrl oFFiCE.

. mron B. man, or cnicoinn, nssncnusn'r'rs, nssioiroit, nr Dinner am) Masiva Assiomn'ra iro n. r. x. sPiicuL'rY comm, n coniomiioit or nizw Yoan.

Application 'med Be it known that I,`Mi1froN"B. citizen of the United States, residing at- Chicopee, Massachusetts, have invented cerf tain newand useful Improvements in Forms or Stretchers for Boots and Shoes, of which -the followin is a specification..

M invention relates to forms or stretchers fiir footwear, and-my object is to provide a device of this character which be self.

adg'nsting to accommodate shoes or boots. of

various shapes to restore the same to their original shape, or approximately' so, after they have been worn or afterV they'have become wet and have lost, in any degree, their o 'nal form.

invention is adapted for use `in shoes ofdyi'erent shapes, for instance either a narrow toed shoe or one havin a box toe2 itv beingpossible for `a person o ordina-ry i'ntelligence to apply'the device which acts automatically or accommodates itself to the shape of the shoe and will fill out the interior of the same when placed therein .and the reqiuisite amount of pressure applied.

The invention consists in the featuresand combination and arrangement of arts hereinafter described and particular y lpointed out in the claims. A 4

In the accompanying .drawings Figure 1 4is a side view of a form or stretcher emox form of toe, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view .on line .5 5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1, 2 indicate the forming members of the stretcher adapted to be' placed in the interior of the shoe to stretch and shape the same. These members are' connected flexibly at their front ends by means of the links 3, 4 pivotally connected respectively to the members 1, 2 and also pivotally connected to each other at 5. These links move in a horizontal plane and serve to exert a control over `the relative movenient of .the members at their front or toe ends,` serving .particularly to keep these inem- Specification o! Letters Patent.' ,ihren s, 190e, serial No. 4.195000. Renewed may ac, serial yiwf-1984570.

REACH,

roam .on sfranrcnna ron Booms Nn fusions.l

Patented Janl3, 191.1.

bers horizontal alinement while at the same time allowing them to have movement in relationto each other laterally and also lon tudi'nally. Each member carriesaguide an in the present physical embodiment of "the principle of my invention I have chosen a bar6 assaid guide, butIdo not limit myself -to this construction, as otherv forms of guides may beemployed if desired. These guides are-'mounted in the horizontally extending walls 7 ,8 of the members preferably by having the end of each screw threaded f and the opposite end of each provided with a kerf toreceive a suitable driver by which the bars may be adjusted in position. These bars are ositioned to converge toward. each other in oth Ithe closed or open position of the members, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. yUpon these des isl mounted a cross head or bar 8, sai cross head consisting of a bar having sleeves or eyes 9 pivoted at the ends thereof and mounted uilcn the guide rods so as to move freely t ereon. v The cross head has ivotally connected thereto one end of a straining link'or member 10 which is adjustably pivoted to av second straining link or member 11 extending rearwardly and adapted at its rearend 'to find a bearing against the heel ofthe shoe. I1. the present form ofmy invention this bearing consists of a concave convex member 12 havin its exterior convexed or curved to substantially fit the curved inner wall of the counter of the shoe, and having on its interior ears 13 which receive between them the rear end of the straining-or adjusting member 11, the connection being made by a pivot 14. The member 11 is preferably made bifurcated, as shown in Fig. `2, .and between these sides the member 10 extends.

betweenthe iinger .pieceor push button 20y and the side of the vlink Aor straining member 11, said spring -ten'dng to hold .the head of the bolt or catch in engagement with the particular socket in which it is then engaged. The head has a Han-ge 21`to limit themove- The adj ustable pivot connection between the straining links,

ment of the head under the action of the spring. The stem passes through an elongated slot and guides the movement ofthe locking device longitudinally of the link, and holds the head in proper relation to the opening, so that the head may be pressed therento at any point. A ring 22 is arranged upon the end of the member 10 by which the device may be suspended from any suitable hook, either when in use or when empty.

In the use of the device it is placed within` the shoe in its closed or collapsed condition, and the heel member having been placed in position, the strainingI links are forced downwardly from the angular position shown in Fig. 1, and in this action the link 10 is caused to move forwardly at its lower end, thus moving the cross head or Vbar 9 on the in clined guides 6 and forcing outwardly from each other the members 1,12. If, now, the members 1, 2 contact with the shoe first at their forward portions, the forward movement of the cross head on the guides will spread part the rear portion of the members 1, 2 to stretch and form the shoe throughout the extent of these forming members. If, however, the shoe is of such shape that the portions of the forming members at the rear come in contact with the shoe first, or in other words, before contact is made at the extreme front portions of the formers, then these contacting rear parts will act as pivotal points and the forward movement of the cross head or bar 9 on the inclined guides will force outwardly or spread apart the front portions of the forming members, until contact is made with the shoe and the forming action or stretching is performed.

It will thus be seen that the forming members will adapt themselves in their relation to each other according to the shape of the shoe. If it is a narrow toed shoe contact of the forming members therewith will take place first at the toe, and these contacting arts acting as pivotal points will cause the orming members to be spread at the rear, and the reverse is true if the shoe has a wide toe and a relatively narrow body portion. I prefer to form the forming members of sheet metal, preferably aluminum, the said members bein formed by stamping them up into proper s ape, and I provide perforations as at 22 which will furnish ventilation to substantially all parts of the shoe acted on by the forming members.

I claim as my invention 1. A former for shoes and the like comrising a plurality of members, and means 01' spreading said members automatically either at front or rear, according to the shape ofthe shoe, the point of connection between the said means and said members shifting longitudinally of said members, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a shoe or like former a plurality of members divided longitudinally from each other and having relative pivotal movement, and means for adjustin said members laterally relation to each other, said 'means having a connection shifting from point to' point of said members and spreading the members at either their front or rear portions, accor ling as the shape of the shoe demands, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a shoe or like former,

a plurality of forming members having relative pivotal movement, converging guides thereon, and a cross heador bar movable longitudinally of the members and in engagement with the guiding means and applying its spreading force at different points along said members, whereby the members are spread either at their front or rear portions, according as said members contact with the shoe first at their rear or 'front portions, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the pair of forming members, relatively inclined guides carried thereby, a s reading member movable longitudinally o the former and having pivotal sliding connection with the guides, substantially as described.

5. In combination the pair of lformers having relatively inclined ides thereon, a

cross head, blocks movab e in connection with the guides, and a pivotal connection between the said blocks and the cross head.

6. In combination the forming members having relative lateral pivotal movement and'having guides converging toward the toe portion and a longitudinally moving spreading member having sliding engagement with the guides, substantially as described.

7. In combination the forming members having relative pivotal movement, means for plvotally connecting them together to hold them in alinement, and spre'ading means for thev members having a shiftin connection therewith to apply the sprea ing force at diferent points along said members, substantially as described.

8. In combination with the forming members, means for movably connecting them and holding them in alinement horizontally, and spreading means for the members said connecting means being independent of the spreadmg means, substantially as described.

9. In combination Awith the formin members the horizontally extending lin s ivoted thereto and to each other, inchned guides on the forming members, and a cross head moving on :the inclined guides for spreading the forming members, substan tially as described.

10. In combination with' the forming members a pair of straining links, one of @some which is provided with sockets, and a plain edged slot extending adjacent said sockets continuously past the same, and the other straining link having a bolt under spring tension, the head .of which is adapted to fit into said sockets, said bolt being adapted to slide on the plain edges of the slot, substantially as described.

ll. In combinat-ion a plurality of members for insertion into the shoe, and adapted to be spread laterally, means for spreading said members comprising the converging guides and the member having slidin connection therewith, a heel piece, an straining means between said heel piece and said sliding member for first s reading the members laterally and then orcing them longitudinally toward the toe of the shoe, substantially as described.

12. In a shoe form, and in combination with a pair of members separated from each other longitudinally, a pivotal connection between said members shiftable longitudinally in respect thereto to operate said members positively in shifting in either a forward or a backward direction, and means for shifting the said connection, substantially as described. A

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON B. REACH.

Witnesses:

' MAY JAMESON,

A. W. MCCAULEY.- 

